arXiv subjects

Rajeev S. Bhalerao

Publications and source records attributed to Rajeev S. Bhalerao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Impact parameter dependence of anisotropic flow: Bayesian reconstruction in ultracentral nucleus-nucleus collisions

Peculiar phenomena have been observed in analyses of anisotropic flow ($v_n$) fluctuations in ultracentral nucleus-nucleus collisions: The fourth-order cumulant of the elliptic flow ($v_2$) distribution changes sign. In addition, the ATLAS collaboration has shown that cumulants of $v_n$ fluctuations of all orders depend significantly on the centrality estimator. We show that these peculiarities are due to the fact that the impact parameter $b$ always spans a finite range for a fixed value of the centrality estimator. We provide a quantitative determination of this range through a simple Bayesian analysis. We obtain excellent fits of STAR and ATLAS data, with a few parameters, by assuming that the probability distribution of $v_n$ solely depends on $b$ at a given centrality. This probability distribution is almost Gaussian, and its parameters depend smoothly on $b$, in a way that is constrained by symmetry and scaling laws. We reconstruct, thus, the impact parameter dependence of the mean elliptic flow in the reaction plane in a model-independent manner, and assess the robustness of the extraction using Monte Carlo simulations of the collisions where the impact parameter is known. We argue that the non-Gaussianity of $v_n$ fluctuations gives direct information on the hydrodynamic response to initial anisotropies, ATLAS data being consistent with a smaller response for $n=4$ than for $n=2$ and $n=3$, in agreement with hydrodynamic calculations.

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arXiv2023

Why are hydrodynamic theories applicable beyond the hydrodynamic regime?

We present an alternative approach to deriving second-order non-conformal hydrodynamics from the relativistic Boltzmann equation. We demonstrate how constitutive relations for shear and bulk stresses can be transformed into dynamical evolution equations, resulting in Israel-Stewart-like (ISL) hydrodynamics. To understand the far-from-equilibrium applicability of such ISL theories, we investigate the one-dimensional boost-invariant Boltzmann equation using special moments of the distribution function for a system with finite particle mass. Our analysis reveals that the mathematical structure of the ISL equations is akin to that of moment equations, enabling them to approximately replicate even the collisionless dynamics. We conclude that this particular feature is important in extending the applicability of ISL theories beyond the hydrodynamic regime.

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arXiv2022

From moments of the distribution function to hydrodynamics: The non-conformal case

We study the one-dimensional boost-invariant Boltzmann equation in the relaxation-time approximation using special moments of the distribution function for a system with a finite particle mass. The infinite hierarchy of moments can be truncated by keeping only the three lowest moments that correspond to the three independent components of the energy-momentum tensor. We show that such a three-moment truncation reproduces accurately the exact solution of the kinetic equation after a simple renormalization that takes into account the effects of the neglected higher moments. We derive second-order Israel-Stewart hydrodynamic equations from the three-moment equations, and show that, for most physically relevant initial conditions, these equations yield results comparable to those of the three-moment truncation, albeit less accurate. We attribute this feature to the fact that the structure of Israel-Stewart equations is similar to that of the three-moment truncation. In particular, the presence of the relaxation term in the Israel-Stewart equations, yields an early-time regime that mimics approximately the collisionless regime. A detailed comparison of the three-moment truncation with second-order non-conformal hydrodynamics reveals ambiguities in the definition of second-order transport coefficients. These ambiguities affect the ability of Israel-Stewart hydrodynamics to reproduce results of kinetic theory.

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arXiv2019

Primordial non-Gaussianity in heavy-ion collisions

We show that experimental data on cumulants of anisotropic flow in heavy-ion collisions probe the non-Gaussian statistics of the energy density field created right after the collision. We carry out a perturbative expansion of the initial anisotropies of the system in terms of its density fluctuations. We argue that the correlation between the magnitudes of elliptic flow and triangular flow, dubbed $sc(3,2)$, is generically of the same sign and order of magnitude as the kurtosis of triangular flow in a hydrodynamic picture. The experimental observation that these quantities are negative implies that the distribution of energy around a given point has positive skew.

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arXiv2019

Relating eccentricity fluctuations to density fluctuations in heavy-ion collisions

The magnitude of anisotropic flow in a nucleus-nucleus collision is determined by the energy density field, $ρ(x,y,z)$, created right after the collision occurs. Specifically, elliptic flow, $v_2$, and triangular flow, $v_3$, are proportional to the anisotropy coefficients $\varepsilon_2$ and $\varepsilon_3$, which are functionals of $ρ$. We express the mean and the variance of $\varepsilon_2$ and $\varepsilon_3$ as a function of the 1- and 2-point functions of $ρ$. These results generalize results obtained previously, that were valid only for central collisions, or only for identical point-like sources. We apply them to the color glass condensate effective theory, using the recently derived expression of the 2-point function.

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arXiv2019

Kurtosis of elliptic flow fluctuations

Elliptic flow ($v_2$) in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions fluctuates event to event, both in magnitude and in orientation with respect to the reaction plane. Even though the reaction plane is not known event to event in experiment, we show that the statistical properties of $v_2$ fluctuations in the reaction plane can be precisely extracted from experimental data. Previous studies have shown how to measure the mean, variance and skewness using the first three cumulants $v_2\{2\}$, $v_2\{4\}$ and $v_2\{6\}$. We complement these studies by providing a formula for the kurtosis, which requires an accurate determination of the next cumulant $v_2\{8\}$. Using existing data, we show that the kurtosis is positive for most centralities, in contrast with the kurtosis of triangular flow fluctuations, which is negative. We argue that these features are robust predictions of fluid-dynamical models.

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arXiv2018

Effects of initial-state dynamics on collective flow within a coupled transport and viscous hydrodynamic approach

We evaluate the effects of preequilibrium dynamics on observables in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. We simulate the initial nonequilibrium phase within A MultiPhase Transport (AMPT) model, while the subsequent near-equilibrium evolution is modeled using (2+1)-dimensional relativistic viscous hydrodynamics. We match the two stages of evolution carefully by calculating the full energy-momentum tensor from AMPT and using it as input for the hydrodynamic evolution. We find that when the preequilibrium evolution is taken into account, final-state observables are insensitive to the switching time from AMPT to hydrodynamics. Unlike some earlier treatments of preequilibrium dynamics, we do not find the initial shear viscous tensor to be large. With a shear viscosity to entropy density ratio of $0.12$, our model describes quantitatively a large set of experimental data on Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider(LHC) over a wide range of centrality: differential anisotropic flow $v_n(p_T) ~(n=2-6)$, event-plane correlations, correlation between $v_2$ and $v_3$, and cumulant ratio $v_2\{4\}/v_2\{2\}$.

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arXiv2017

Thermal noise in a boost-invariant matter expansion in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We formulate a general theory of thermal fluctuations within causal second-order viscous hydrodynamic evolution of matter formed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The fluctuation is treated perturbatively on top of a boost-invariant longitudinal expansion. Numerical simulation of thermal noise is performed for a lattice QCD equation of state and for various second-order dissipative evolution equations. Phenomenological effects of thermal fluctuations on the two-particle rapidity correlations are studied.

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arXiv2015

Collective flow in event-by-event partonic transport plus hydrodynamics hybrid approach

Complete evolution of the strongly interacting matter formed in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions is studied within a coupled Boltzmann and relativistic viscous hydrodynamics approach. For the initial nonequilibrium evolution phase, we employ the AMPT model that explicitly includes event-by-event fluctuations in the number and positions of the participating nucleons as well as of the produced partons with subsequent parton transport. The ensuing near-equilibrium evolution of quark-gluon and hadronic matter is modeled within the (2+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamics. We probe the role of parton dynamics in generating and maintaining the spatial anisotropy in the preequilibrium phase. Substantial eccentricities epsilon_n are found to be generated in the event-by-event fluctuations in parton production from initial nucleon-nucleon collisions. For ultracentral heavy-ion collisions, the model is able to explain qualitatively the unexpected hierarchy of the harmonic flow coefficients v_n(p_T)(n=2-6) observed at LHC. We find that the results for v_n(p_T) are rather insensitive to the variation (within a range) of the time of switchover from AMPT parton transport to hydrodynamic evolution. The usual Grad and the recently proposed Chapman-Enskog-like (nonequilibrium) single-particle distribution functions are found to give very similar results for v_n(n=2-4). The model describes well both the RHIC and LHC data for v_n(p_T) at various centralities, with a constant shear viscosity to entropy density ratio of 0.08 and 0.12, respectively. The event-by-event distributions of v_{2,3} are in good agreement with the LHC data for midcentral collisions. The linear response relation v_n = k_n epsilon_n is found to be true for n=2,3, except at large values of epsilon_n, where a larger value of k_n is required, suggesting a small admixture of positive nonlinear response even for n=2,3.

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arXiv2015

Principal component analysis of event-by-event fluctuations

We apply principal component analysis to the study of event-by-event fluctuations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. This method brings out all the information contained in two-particle correlations in a physically transparent way. We present a guide to the method, and apply it to multiplicity fluctuations and anisotropic flow, using ALICE data and simulated events. In particular, we study elliptic and triangular flow fluctuations as a function of transverse momentum and rapidity. This method reveals previously unknown subleading modes in both rapidity and transverse momentum for the momentum distribution as well as elliptic and triangular flows.

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arXiv2015

Characterizing flow fluctuations with moments

We present a complete set of multiparticle correlation observables for ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. These include moments of the distribution of the anisotropic flow in a single harmonic, and also mixed moments, which contain the information on correlations between event planes of different harmonics. We explain how all these moments can be measured using just two symmetric subevents separated by a rapidity gap. This presents a multi-pronged probe of the physics of flow fluctuations. For instance, it allows to test the hypothesis that event-plane correlations are generated by non-linear hydrodynamic response. We illustrate the method with simulations of events in A MultiPhase Transport (AMPT) model.

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arXiv2014

Relativistic viscous hydrodynamics for heavy-ion collisions: A comparison between the Chapman-Enskog and Grad methods

Derivations of relativistic second-order dissipative hydrodynamic equations have relied almost exclusively on the use of Grad's 14-moment approximation to write $f(x,p)$, the nonequilibrium distribution function in the phase space. Here we consider an alternative Chapman-Enskog-like method, which, unlike Grad's, involves a small expansion parameter. We derive an expression for $f(x,p)$ to second order in this parameter. We show analytically that while Grad's method leads to the violation of the experimentally observed $1/\sqrt{m_T}$ scaling of the longitudinal femtoscopic radii, the alternative method does not exhibit such an unphysical behavior. We compare numerical results for hadron transverse-momentum spectra and femtoscopic radii obtained in these two methods, within the one-dimensional scaling expansion scenario. Moreover, we demonstrate a rapid convergence of the Chapman-Enskog-like expansion up to second order. This leads to an expression for $δf(x,p)$ which provides a better alternative to Grad's approximation for hydrodynamic modeling of relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

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arXiv2014

Relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The field of relativistic heavy-ion collisions is introduced to the high-energy physics students with no prior knowledge in this area. The emphasis is on the two most important observables, namely the azimuthal collective flow and jet quenching, and on the role fluid dynamics plays in the interpretation of the data. Other important observables described briefly are constituent quark number scaling, ratios of particle abundances, strangeness enhancement, and sequential melting of heavy quarkonia. Comparison is made of some of the basic heavy-ion results obtained at LHC with those obtained at RHIC. Initial findings at LHC which seem to be in apparent conflict with the accumulated RHIC data are highlighted.

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arXiv2013

Particle production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions: A consistent hydrodynamic approach

We derive relativistic viscous hydrodynamic equations invoking the generalized second law of thermodynamics for two different forms of the non-equilibrium single-particle distribution function. We find that the relaxation times in these two derivations are identical for shear viscosity but different for bulk viscosity. These equations are used to study thermal dilepton and hadron spectra within longitudinal scaling expansion of the matter formed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. For consistency, the same non-equilibrium distribution function is used in the particle production prescription as in the derivation of the viscous evolution equations. Appreciable differences are found in the particle production rates corresponding to the two non-equilibrium distribution functions. We emphasize that an inconsistent treatment of the non-equilibrium effects influences the particle production significantly, which may affect the extraction of transport properties of quark-gluon plasma.

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arXiv2013

Event-plane correlators

Correlators between event planes of different harmonics in relativistic heavy-ion collisions have the potential to provide crucial information on the initial state of the matter formed in these collisions. We present a new procedure for analyzing such correlators, which is less demanding in terms of detector acceptance than the one used recently by the ATLAS collaboration to measure various two-plane and three-plane correlators in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC. It can also be used unambiguously for quantitative comparison between theory and data. We use this procedure to carry out realistic simulations within the transport model AMPT. Our theoretical results are in excellent agreement with the ATLAS data, in contrast with previous hydrodynamic calculations which only achieved qualitative agreement. We present predictions for new correlators, in particular four-plane correlators, which can easily be analyzed with our new method.

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arXiv2013

Relativistic hydrodynamics from Boltzmann equation with modified collision term

Generalizing the collision term in the relativistic Boltzmann equation to include nonlocal effects, and using Grad's 14-moment approximation for the single-particle distribution function, we derive evolution equations for the relativistic dissipative fluid dynamics and compare them with the corresponding equations obtained in the standard Israel-Stewart and related approaches. Significance of this generalization on hydrodynamic evolution is demonstrated in the framework of one-dimensional scaling expansion.

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arXiv2013

New relativistic dissipative fluid dynamics from kinetic theory

Starting with the relativistic Boltzmann equation where the collision term is generalized to include nonlocal effects via gradients of the phase-space distribution function, and using Grad's 14-moment approximation for the distribution function, we derive equations for the relativistic dissipative fluid dynamics. We compare them with the corresponding equations obtained in the standard Israel-Stewart and related approaches. Our method generates all the second-order terms that are allowed by symmetry, some of which have been missed by the traditional approaches based on the 14-moment approximation, and the coefficients of other terms are altered. The first-order or Navier-Stokes equations too get modified. Significance of these findings is demonstrated in the framework of one-dimensional scaling expansion of the matter formed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

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arXiv2013

Complete relativistic second-order dissipative hydrodynamics from the entropy principle

We present a new derivation of relativistic dissipative hydrodynamic equations, which invokes the second law of thermodynamics for the entropy four-current expressed in terms of the single-particle phase-space distribution function obtained from Grad's 14-moment approximation. This derivation is complete in the sense that all the second-order transport coefficients are uniquely determined within a single theoretical framework. In particular, this removes the long-standing ambiguity in the relaxation time for bulk viscosity thereby eliminating one of the uncertainties in the extraction of the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio from confrontation with the anisotropic flow data in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We find that in the one-dimensional scaling expansion, these transport coefficients prevent the occurrence of cavitation even for rather large values of the bulk viscosity estimated in lattice QCD.

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